Generally speaking, the present invention relates to an improvement in coin operated controllers wherein insertion of coins into a receiving means associated with a controller causes a motor drive means to drive cam means to open and close electrical switches associated therewith, one improvement comprising an auxiliary timing means providing a means to vary timing cycles of the cam means.
Another improvement to such a controller is characterized by a means providing extended cycles of the controller which comprises at least one cam having a plurality of lobes, a rotating member, first coupling means coupling the rotating member to the motor drive means, and a second coupling means selectively coupling the rotating member with the cam.
The present invention pertains to a controller and particularly to controllers that are coin operated.
Coin operated appliances are well known in the appliance industry as used in coin operated laundries. The coin receiving apparatus is usually associated with controllers which controls the functions of the particular appliance. Inserting sufficient coins into the receiving apparatus puts the controller in an operable position so that, for example, in a clothes dryer, when the door to the appliance is closed the controller begins to operate to control the electrical functions of the clothes dryer.
One of the problems associated with these types of mechanisms is that of changing the cycles of the controller as the market price of coin operated laundries varies. More specifically, the owner of the laundry in many instances is forced to acquire new controllers in order to provide different timing cycles to meet a competitor's price for drying a load of clothes.
Another problem associated with such mechanisms is in providing a means for the user to extend the length of any given cycle of the controller by the user of the appliance inserting more coins. In such prior art devices, however, the length of time that could be acquired was severely limited.